1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method for acquiring image information from an imaging device via a network and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
New surveillance camera systems using Internet Protocol (IP) transmission have been commercially manufactured, so that large-scale systems can be constructed. As for a compression method (codec) upon IP transmission, for example, the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) method and the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method are used in most cases. The JPEG and MPEG methods are generally used in fields other than that of surveillance cameras. The JPEG method is effective in cases where a large number of surveillance cameras result in a lower frame rate. The MPEG method is effective in cases where a user wants to view a moving image even when an image resolution is decreased.
Software installed in a recorder has been changed and released every new camera release. Updating the software permits a new camera to be registered and set in the recorder.
FIG. 18 is a diagram explaining a method of registering and setting a camera in a related-art camera system. A camera 500 holds device information about itself in a storage unit 501. A recorder 600 holds information blocks 603a and 603b about functions of a known camera. The recorder 600 can additionally store information about a function of the known camera by changing software. The information about the functions of the camera contains the following items:                Functions supported by the camera;        List of parameters necessary for setting each function and set ranges for the parameters; and        Restrictions on the individual functions.        
Each time another new camera 500 is released, the recorder 600 additionally stores information specific to the new device. To use the camera 500 and the recorder 600 such that the camera 500 is connected to the recorder 600 over a network, the camera 500 has to be first registered in the recorder 600. At that time, the recorder 600 acquires device information indicating, for example, the model name from the camera 500 using, for instance, a common gateway interface (CGI) command. The recorder 600 then refers to the information blocks 603a and 603b about the functions of the camera on the basis of the device name, thereby constructing registration information concerning the camera 500. Specifically, restriction information blocks 604a and 604b about restrictions on the individual functions and ranges of set values for the respective functions are set on the basis of the device information and the information blocks 603a and 603b about the respective functions of the camera. Thus, a function a 602a and a function b 602b can be realized.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008-15566 and 2008-48243 disclose related-art surveillance camera systems.